Immortality?
by Hayakaze
Summary: [AU] Ryuk makes a decision that changes L's fate, and thus, Light's.
1. Saved

**--Immortality--**

**SPOILER**: L's real name in chapter 1.

Disclaimer: Chapter 1 pretty much belongs to the anime creators but the rest is my original plot. All characters belong to the very lucky, very elusive Tsugumi Oba.

Pairing: LLight, ish. Only shounen ai, and not a key part of the plot.

A/N: I love how _little tiny details_ inspire huge AU plots to brew in my brain. After watching episode 15 a second time, I noticed someone was being rather quiet...

* * *

**--Saved--**

Ryuk watched the other shinigami follow Misa into Light's room as Light closed and locked the door.

"Rem. You're Misa's ally, right?" The young genius wasted no time.

"Yeah, I've seen this girl a number of times from the shinigami world, and due to certain circumstances, I've got some feelings for her."

"You've got feelings, despite being a shinigami?" Ryuk scoffed.

Rem ignored him. "Seems like you don't like the fact that I said, 'If you kill this girl, I'll kill you.'"

"So, does this mean that if Misa's happy, you're happy?"

"Yeah. That's how it works. I don't want to see her sad."

Ryuk glanced at Light. The boy's eyes were shining darkly, and Ryuk knew he had a plan to kill her. She was stupid, really, to tell him that, after they had just discussed how to kill a shinigami a few nights ago.

Light pulled Misa close to him. "Misa really... likes me so much."

"Raito?" Her eyes sparkled.

"Misa."

"Hai?"

"Is my happiness your happiness too?"

"...Hai!"

Ryuk produced a throaty laugh. Rem was _definitely_ in for it.

"Can you ask Rem to kill L?"

Ryuk stopped. He'd asked so bluntly? Well, he'd have to hear how this went over...

"Rem wants you to be happy, yet if one of us is caught by L, that happiness will be threatened."

Laughing, Ryuk offered, "Although shinigami aren't supposed to tell humans other people's names, there's no rule preventing Rem from killing anyone."

"Right... if you kill L, I'll have even greater feelings for Misa, and I'd be thankful to you too, Rem." Light's eyes narrowed. "More importantly, we'd both be happy together."

"Rem, I want to be loved by Light! Both of us would be happy... I'll be happy!" Misa donned her best puppy dog face, welling fake tears (or were they real? Ryuk couldn't ever tell, with Misa) in her eyes.

After a few moments, Light sighed, acting as if he took the silence as a negative. He started walking to his desk, when suddenly-

"All right."

The boy turned, faking (?) shock.

"That's fine, Yagami Raito. I don't like you. So, even if I end up prolonging your life, it won't kill me." Rem glowered at him. "I'll kill L. He means nothing to me."

"Yatta, Rem! Arigatouu!" Misa threw her arms around the shinigami.

But Ryuk watched Light, who was frozen in what appeared to be real shock. Or perhaps he was just in deep thought. Maybe both?

"So, when do you want him killed?" Rem's voice pulled Light out of his stupor. "If you take me to him, I'll kill him immediately."

Reassuming his calm, collected god role, Light replied, "The earlier, the better. It could even be tomorrow." He thought, and then corrected himself. "Then again, it may be a little careless to decide straight away... Tonight, I'll think carefully about when and how we should kill him, and I'll give you my answer after that."

"I understand."

"Listen. No matter what happens, don't kill until I give the signal." Adding threat to his voice, he emphasized, "No matter what happens!"

"Sure, I can promise you that... with regard to L..."

"Misa, give me your cell phone number."

Ryuk swore, no matter how hard he tried, he could not pay attention to the babbling blonde model. She was really that annoying. He drifted into thoughts regarding what he had just witnessed.

Light was planning to kill L. And it seemed that it would happen _very_ soon.

Well, that would be interesting, but Ryuk remembered that he had power here. It was possible that Ryuk could make things even _more_ interesting... without telling anyone... he'd remembered the name and the lifespan. He knew exactly what he needed to know.

As he concluded his thoughts, he noticed that Light was kissing Misa.

Well, damn, that boy really lived up to his genius title. It was as if Misa's brain had shut down completely and her body was on autopilot. Light easily guided her outside.

Ryuk picked up a pen as the other shinigami followed the couple out of the room. Pulling out his Death Note, he chuckled.

"Sorry, Light, but it's all just a show to me. I've told you... I'm on nobody's side."

Bringing the pen to his Death Note, he quickly scribbled a name that proved just that.

_L Lawliet_.

* * *

A/N: Ooh suspense! Worry not, it will be explained next chapter. 

Also, CONCRIT! Tell me confusing bits, tell me _why _you liked it, even point out every single grammar/spelling error. Heck, tell me if you didn't care.


	2. Waste

A/N: I have learned that writer's block can be defeated if you just sit down and write.

Btw, **HUGE** time skip - nothing has changed from the anime up until now, so I didn't feel a need to write it.

* * *

**---Waste---**

"Watari!"

Plain black letters contrasted sharply on a blank background:

**All data deletion**

"Data deletion? What's going on?" Aizawa voiced the entire team's thoughts.

"I instructed Watari to delete all the data if something unexpected should happen to him."

Light halted. _Rem is doing it! She's actually killing L!_ Shock and horror besieged him, but Kira quickly subdued the pointless emotions, and he realized that it was not his friend that was about to die, but his arch nemesis.

"The shinigami!" L demanded.

"That's right, she disappeared!" Souichirou replied. The team searched frantically. "She's not here! What's going on?"

Determined, L warned, "Everyone, the shinigami is using her Death Note to aid Kira. She will kill me next. She may kill you all as well."

Everyone gaped. Worry and dread hung in the air like a foul stench. Yet, the most sickening minutes passed with no consequences; no one dropped to the floor, no one clutched at their heart.

"It seems that I could be wrong. However, there is a 98 percent chance that she did write my name, and if that is true then I will be controlled until my death. Right now... look for the shinigami."

Light snapped to attention as everyone else headed out. _Right, the Note! I have to get to it before anyone else! But I can't seem too eager..._ He started to protest. "But, L..."

"Don't worry about me, if she has written my name then it is already over. She's probably still in the building, go find her!"

Officially dismissed, Light set out to find Rem - or rather, her remains. _If I were a shinigami... where would I choose to die?_

She probably hadn't gone too far. He went down a nearby hall, opening every unlocked door and thoroughly scanning the rooms.

_Wasn't she supposed to kill L?! Why the hell did she kill _Watari _instead?_

When he reached the file room, he couldn't help but see the conspicuous pile of sand. Protruding from it was the Death Note, which he quickly retrieved.

He opened the book, flipping through the blank pages from back to front until he found the most recent entries. Scribbled elegantly on the otherwise blank page was _Quillsh Wammy_, and right beside it, _L Lawliet_.

Wait, _L_? His name was actually _L_?! Just the letter L! Even though his native Japanese ears were accustomed to English, it seemed... wrong. Had Rem intentionally written the wrong name? That didn't make sense. She shouldn't have died, unless- Watari really would have been the reason...! He _had _deleted all the data. That must have been it! Rem must have known... and that was why...

_"I instructed Watari to delete all the data if something unexpected should happen to him."_

Then, she must have overheard them. But still, the shinigami had promised to kill L. She had once stated that he meant nothing to her. So... why was he still alive? Why would she kill Watari but leave L, who could easily obtain the information again?

Well, he'd never get an answer. Right now, he had to figure out what L's name was. He'd ask Misa, then. After all, he couldn't just have her kill him; it had to be timed perfectly. And he knew he would have to be in charge of it if he wanted that to happen.

He hid the Note in the back of his pants. Securing it, he walked back to the door and called down the hall for the rest of the team, who responded immediately.

"Ashes?" "No, sand." "Why?"

"I'll return to the main room to discuss it with Ryuuzaki." Light knew L was watching, but he didn't want to talk to the wall.

L watched Light enter. "Maybe sand is what a shinigami becomes when it dies."

Light only lifted an unnoticeable eyebrow behind concealing bangs as he sauntered over to L, who turned back to his screens. Light had a sudden impulse.

"L."

L's eyes shot toward Light. "Hai, Raito-kun?" His face gave only the slightest hints of despondency, but months of being chained to the stolid man had given Light the uncommon ability to pick up on his subtle emotions.

"Thank you... for not dying."

L stared, unsure. After a moment, he replied, "It's not over yet, Raito-kun."

* * *

A/N: Poor L. Imagine being absolutely positive that you're about to die and it never comes... just waiting for it to hit like a 20-ton weight. Pure agony.

I felt like adding more at the end... I may add more here before chapter 3. I'll let you know in the next chapter...

CONCRIT keeps the mind on track!


End file.
